One of the ways I generate conversation in my classes is to use the questions from the
political compass website. That's because many of the questions are difficult to answer and very often highlight different opinions in the class. I have a class at the organization responsible for making Quebec's nest egg grow (I'm being purposely vague but those who live here know what I mean) and I was pretty surprised to find the neocon spirit alive and well. I suppose that's necessary when your raison d'être is to grow money. It was the first class in which the group strongly agreed with the following statement: The rich are too highly taxed. Anyway, I had asked
LBB to take the test as I sometimes don't know if he's being serious or sarcastic on his blog. He left his results for me in the comments yesterday and since it had been a while since I've taken the test, I took it again and noticed that they had tweaked some of the questions since I last took it. My result came out similarly anyway on the grid. I scored down there with the Dalai Lama, Ghandi and Nelson Mandela. Draw your own conclusions from that.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.49
If you care to take the test, set aside a half an hour and let us know how you scored.
In other news, I scored a contract for the December-January break. I am usually unemployed from mid December to the end of January and this will be the first year since I've been teaching that I will have an income during that period. I find that ironic in this time of (panic) RECESSION (panic). I suppose there will always be demand for improved language skills, so perhaps I'm in a recession-proof field. Anyway this means that we can take that ski holiday we've been wanting to take. We have not been skiing once since we moved here in 2000, so this year will be the one. Aside from that, nothing much else to relate today. We're off to brunch with MIL to celebrate serge's bday (which was last monday) this morning, then puttering around the house. Have a lovely Sunday peeps.
22 comments:
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: 0.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.10
its a very similar result to the other test i took- http://www.electoralcompass.com/
Congrats on the contract!
Interesting test.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -6.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74
The problem I have with tests like these are they tend to be littered with liberal academic bias. No offense but the questions sounds like they were writing by an overly educated socialist. How can you disagree with a question like "the only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders". Well of course companies should try and do more for society but the real question is should the government require them to do it - that I disagree with yet I agree with the general premise.
Another question: "Governments should penalise businesses that mislead the public". Well of course the government should hold businesses accountable but by saying either Agree or Strongly Agree either way pushes a liberal agenda.
"The businessperson and the manufacturer are more important than the writer and the artist." What the hell kind of question is that? Would any person ever agree with that statement?
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The Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 1.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.56
Yay for the job and non-unemployment!
Political Compass:
Economic Left/Right: -6.62
Social Libertarian/Authotitarian: -5.64
HUGS...
where do you ski? mt.tremblant?
heh - I'm further out than Gandhi!
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.90
Skiing seems to be a very dangerous sport. I've never tried it but I suppose it is required for those north of the border. I'll give the advice my mother gave me when I tried to climb our giant sycamore tree: "If you fall and break both of your legs don't come running to me". Have a great weekend and Happy belated b'day to Serge, he's looking better ever day. ed
Very happy that you'll have the extra income! I know how much pressure that is -- especially in difficult economies -- for anyone. Hope the brunch was yummy.....
Llazzzy Sunday here....:)
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian:
-3.69
the problem is that it doesnt offer "i dont know" because on a few questions I didnt really know and just chose the one I thought that was right from a left point of view. Love your blog by the way
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.67
In the same quadrant as the Dali Lama but not as far from center.
I agree with Rick. Many of the questions are leading, and there isn't an "I don't know" option.
I've taken this one a few times, and though I've not kept tally of where my scores fall down or if I answer the same each time, I think they're pretty consistent. To Rick I would argue that there are plenty of people who would agree strongly with most of the authoritarian statements made - this is why they're considered authoritarian. That most people would find the ideas repugnant doesn't mean that the researchers are asking biased questions. It's also not entirely transparent how the answers are coded, so it's very possible that one answer could affect the score on both axes.
As someone who has written and conducted a large-scale survey, I know firsthand how difficult it is to choose wording for questions, even for a topic that's not politically charged. I've certainly seen a lot of very biased "surveys", but I would say that this one does a pretty good job overall. If you're not certain where you come down on a particular statement, it doesn't really push you in a particular direction so much as make you think.
Anyway, my scores are:
Economic Left/Right: -7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.54
Economic Left/Right: -2.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.21
As I imagined, I'm closer to center left than most folks here.
It took me less than ten minutes to complete, though. I'm pretty clear on my beliefs.
But I also agree that some of the questions forced you further to one side or the other, at least more than I would have preferred.
I am way to the left of Ghandi.
Economic Left/Right: -8.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.36
No time to take the test now, but I feel compelled to comment on money-fixated people who think the rich pay too much in taxes. I don't know about Canada, but most of the rich here manage to get out of paying their fair share. And as for what's fair, they seem to forget that the structure provided by this society--secured by the government that our taxes support--allowed them to make their obscene sums of money. Or do they think a country without a strong government would have given them the freedom to get where they are? Anarchy isn't good for economic prosperity.
Flying Spaghetti Monster bless people like Warren Buffett, one of the rare breed who manage to get filthy rich and still remember those less fortunate than themselves!
I make Ghandi look like a right wing anal retentive.
Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.15
well done on the contract. And will you go skiing local?
Economic Left/Right: -7.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.77
Is this when we all sing Kumbayah? :)
Economic Lef/Right: -7.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.77
hh
Economic Left/Right: -6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian:
-7.08.
Hm. I must have agreed or disagreed with something less emphatically this time. I came out just a few hundredths of a point to the right of my last test:
Economic Left/Right: -8.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.31
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